So we all hate the Chinese. You simply have to. All 1.4 billion of them. Not that it would be that easy to be a bit more selective. Though in fact we don’t hate every person there, some must be alright? Aren’t’ they? At least half a dozen or so, surely. But we hate President Xi and we hate the government there but as it only sits about once in every 10 years to announce another 20 years under Xi’s stewardship, bit like another coronation, we only have so much dislike of a bunch of old Chinese we couldn’t name.

And we hate that they persecute the Uyghurs and that their population of over a billion humans have not one human right between them. They oppress the population, repress opposition and cries for any form of democracy, they stole Hong Kong and they send their children out to work at 7 years old. Not sure what that last bit says about people buying from Shein or Temu but we’re all guilty of creating a disconnect between principles and a cheap dress. And don’t get me started on Covid.

However, if you have a problem to solve, China is the place where it will get solved. It’s just what they do. Throw another 15 million people at it and the answer will come. If not, there’s plenty more 15 millions waiting in the wings.

Hence the Electric Vehicle situation. Which is not even a situation any longer in China.

Our problem is that charging takes fucking hours and that’s if you’re lucky enough to find a charger which will accommodate you, enable you on their app and produce the necessary output. If you can’t find such a thing, it’ll take you another 20 miles of stress and anxiety before you fail a the next one. Teslas have a better network of rapid chargers but not every EV is a Tesla. Especially as they’re the double-damned now. Parts made in China, get taxed to shit entering America, where they’re built, then taxed again when they arrive here from the US.

In China, their BYD electric cars have a massive network of chargers which will give you 250 miles of ‘lectric in 5 minutes. As a consequence, BYD sales there have now overtaken those of Tesla.

But they also now have the CATL network operating. You drive your battery-depleted car in and they remove the battery, replacing it with a fully charged one. In three minutes!!! Less than the time it takes to fill your motor-scooter with unleaded.

We could have all this here. Where they keep telling everyone to drive electric whilst doing nothing about the almost total lack of charging infrastructure. But we won’t. Because they’re worried about the information from your vehicle ending up in Beijing. So President Xi will KNOW you went to McDonalds when your wife wasn’t looking. It’s not like your Electric Mini is filled with state secrets and military details, FFS.

I truly love our EV. But ask me if we’d buy another? Go on, ask.

Happy Bank Holiday Monday

A xxxx